White v. White

641 So. 2d 538, 1994 WL 261726
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedSeptember 14, 1994
Docket93-1389
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 641 So. 2d 538 (White v. White) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
White v. White, 641 So. 2d 538, 1994 WL 261726 (La. Ct. App. 1994).

Opinion

641 So.2d 538 (1994)

Virginia H. WHITE, Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
Debbie M. WHITE & James A. White, III, Defendants-Appellees.

No. 93-1389.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

June 15, 1994.
Rehearing Denied August 31, 1994.
Opinion Concurring in Part and Dissenting in Part September 14, 1994.

*539 Howard N. Nugent Jr., Alexandria, for Virginia H. White.

Charles Stovall Weems III, Alexandria, for Debbie M. White and James A. White III.

Before DOUCET, YELVERTON and THIBODEAUX, JJ.

Opinion of Justice Thibodeaux Concurring in Part and Dissenting in Part September 14, 1994.

DOUCET, Judge.

The main issue in this suit for damages is whether the plaintiff, Virginia H. White, has stated a cause of action for intentional interference with a contract and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

On May 7, 1993, Virginia, ex-wife of James A. White, III, filed a first amended petition, naming as defendants, James and his current wife, Debbie White.

Virginia's petition alleges that she and James entered into a community property settlement in March, 1991. In accordance with the community property settlement, James was to retain possession of the former matrimonial home located in Alexandria, Louisiana. Further, he was to hold Virginia harmless for all claims in connection with the mortgage on the home which was held by First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Alexandria for the principal sum of $405,000.00. James also obligated himself to pay the mortgage note in the amount of $157,000.00 held by Pelican Homestead and Savings Association on the home occupied by Virginia in New Orleans.

Virginia further alleges that the community property settlement provided that James would pledge to Virginia a life insurance policy on his life as security on his obligation to pay the mortgage on the New Orleans home. This life insurance policy was issued by Pan American Life Insurance Company for a ten year term in the amount of $135,000.00 and assigned to Pelican.

Virginia's petition further alleges that James was and remains the owner of a life insurance policy insuring her life in the amount of $1 Million. She claims that she was the owner of a life insurance policy insuring James's life in the amount of $2.5 Million which, subsequent to her divorce from James, was transferred to him upon his oral promise to maintain both policies and name their children as beneficiaries.

In October 1990, after the divorce but before the execution of the community property settlement, James and Debbie were married in San Francisco, California. They then moved to Louisiana. In November 1991, Virginia was contacted by counsel for Pelican and informed that James failed to make the required payments on the loan on the Alexandria property and that Pelican was seeking $7,705.30 to cover the two monthly payments past due, as well as late charges and attorney's fees.

Virginia claims that James and Debbie attempted to deprive her of her rights under the community property settlement by developing a plan whereby Debbie was to purchase the note from Pelican for the Alexandria property, after which James would neither honor nor pay the note as contemplated in the community property settlement. Virginia claims that the plan was for Debbie to then pursue Virginia for the payment of the *540 loan, thereby circumventing James's obligation to pay under the terms of the settlement. Virginia claims that this plan was designed to harass and strip her of her property rights by forcing her to sell and pay the note on the New Orleans property or to refinance it in her name alone, thereby releasing James from the debt and any further payments to her. The petition further alleges that James and Debbie were attempting to force her to sign releases on all of the properties owned by James.

In furtherance of the plan, the petition further states that Debbie threatened that James would seek bankruptcy protection to release him of his obligations under the settlement.

On May 21, 1992, Debbie in fact acquired, by assignment, the loan secured by a mortgage on the Alexandria home. James and Debbie attempted to sell the property, but the potential buyers refused to purchase unless Virginia released her right to exercise any and all resolutory conditions under the community property settlement. Virginia claims that Debbie demanded that she sign the release. Debbie allegedly threatened to sue Virginia for the remaining debt on the note if Virginia refused to sign the release. Virginia claims that she attempted, in good faith, to negotiate with Debbie in order to resolve their differences. However, Debbie continued to threaten suit as well as criminal prosecution against her and her children. Virginia claims in her petition that she waived her rights under the settlement agreement to exercise resolutory conditions regarding the sale of the Alexandria property for the amount of $200,000 and pursuant to Debbie's threats and in the hopes of resolving the dispute.

Virginia also claimed that James breached all of the obligations pertaining to the New Orleans home as well as the insurance policies due to the influence of his current wife, Debbie.

Virginia claims that she and James had a legally binding, written contract about which Debbie had knowledge. She claims that Debbie, without justification, induced and/or caused James to breach that contract as well as the oral contract pertaining to the life insurance policies. Virginia's petition alleges that James and Debbie engaged in extreme and outrageous conduct in an attempt to inflict severe mental anguish and emotional distress, and that they did inflict severe mental anguish and emotional distress on her. Virginia claims that she has suffered damages as a result of James's failure to honor his oral agreement and community property settlement, as well as damages resulting from James's and Debbie's illegal, callous, outrageous, and extreme conduct. Therefore, she seeks compensatory damages. Virginia also claims to have suffered damage due to Debbie's intentional interference with the contract between her and James.

Debbie and James filed exceptions of no right of action and no cause of action.

The trial judge dismissed all claims against Debbie, sustaining exceptions of no cause of action filed by her. In his reasons for judgment, the judge stated:

"As to the allegation of tortious interference with contract, the Louisiana Supreme Court has limited that cause of action to situations involving officers of a corporation interfering with contracts between the corporation and third parties when such interference is knowing, unjustified and intentionally causes the corporation to breach a contract or make its performance impossible or more burdensome on the other party."

In refusing to expand the tort of intentional interference with a contract beyond the bounds established by the Louisiana Supreme Court in 9 to 5 Fashions, Inc. v. Spurney, 538 So.2d 228 (La.1989), the trial judge stated:

"While the court did not specifically prohibit the application of the tortious interference with contract cause of action to other situations or other business associations such as partnerships, it is extremely doubtful that it would allow such an action between individuals."

Further, in maintaining the exception of no cause of action, the trial judge reasoned that Virginia did not state a cause of action for intentional infliction of emotional distress because her allegations failed to meet the standards *541

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Bluebook (online)
641 So. 2d 538, 1994 WL 261726, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/white-v-white-lactapp-1994.